“Megan Ihnen stressed to me that the issue warrants regular discussion: “I strongly believe that it’s absolutely necessary to talk about gender parity and gender issues in new music as well as classical music.”
Ihnen went on to say that discussions about the issue should include ways of moving forward, that “it’s important to recognize it and then each do our part to overcome”. More specifically, “the solutions raised… need to be scrutinized as helpful or stumbling blocks. Do we need to change quotas in ensembles to achieve gender equality? That may be a stumbling block. But, perhaps opting for blind auditions to thwart sexism is more realistic and helpful.”
Ihnen shared her own call to action, saying, “It would serve the whole community of new music if we try to be as open-minded about the people that compose, perform, and love new music as we claim to be about the music we play.”